In the rancid world of Zimbabwean politics silencing your enemies is a matter of routine. Silencing those you expect to be faithfully 'on message' is not. Yet President Robert Mugabe had to bite that particular bullet twice this week.
First in line for gagging was roly-poly Central Bank governor Gideon Gono (right), a long-time buddy of the President.
But Gono must have been expecting trouble. After all, he was asking for it. His recent public pronouncements have reeked of heresy. To businessmen, to students, he talked of government corruption, incompetence and laziness. And as for the Mugabe gospel that Zimbabwe's appalling troubles can all be blamed on Tony Blair and the West - that, he said, was rubbish.
On Tuesday, he was duly
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Even the President's friends and allies are going ‘off message’ |
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summoned to the President's Munhumutapa office. No one knows what passed between the two men. But my source in the office told me that when Gono left he looked "dejected". As well he might.
Number two on the list of government figures needing correction was Attorney General Sobuza Gula-Ndebele. Gula-Ndebele has certainly made a grave error. He has attempted to prosecute a case of fraud involving Reward Marufu, who, as the brother of our First Lady, Grace Mugabe, is of course above the law.
Briefly: Marufu received his reward some years ago when he claimed US$70,000 from the War Victims Compensation Fund on the grounds that he was 100 per cent disabled, even though he was about as disabled as the average gazelle.
Mugabe foiled an earlier attempt to prosecute him by posting him to 
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